Chapter 191
Chapter 191
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 191
Chapter Title: Encounters Backstage
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“Seol-ahhh!”
As always, the sound of Seol-ah’s name being cried out marked their arrival at the music show, drawing laughter from the crowd.
The Answer members’ poses had evolved to a new level. Ro-si’s relaxed expression, a sign of her restored confidence, was great, but it was Yi-na’s eccentric, fashion-model-like expressions and poses that were receiving the full support of the fansite photographers.
“We’ll be back. See you later.”
They responded to the fans’ cheers and entered the hallway leading to their waiting room.
“When we first debuted, all the rookies used to line up right here.”
“Yeah. After the recording finished, there was barely any room to stand. Everyone would line up to greet people.”
Seol-ah and Seul-bi seemed to be reminiscing about a few years ago.
“Really?”
“Ooh. So there are things our Oppa doesn’t know.”
Yi-na said with interest.
“They used to line up to greet the PD-nims, hoping to get their faces recognized. But at some point, it spread on Tube and social media and became an issue, so they put a stop to it. It hasn’t disappeared completely, though.”
Hearing that, it made sense. I wasn’t sure if the PDs would have even given them a second glance just because they lined up to greet them like that, though.
-[Artist Waiting Room: Answer]-
“Wow! It’s a room with beds again!”
As always, Yi-na threw herself onto the sleeper sofa. Seol-ah, who used to scold her, seemed to have given up, letting out only a small sigh.
“Hehe. I thought we’d get a regular room since there are two senior groups in the lineup.”
Yi-na said cheerfully, hugging a leather cushion.
*Knock, knock, knock.*
Hearing the knock, I opened the door slightly and peeked outside.
It was a familiar girl group, all wearing matching red leather one-piece outfits adorned with flashy gold glittery tassels on their chests, waists, and boots.
“Hello, Timjang-nim! We came to greet the Seonbae-nims.”
“Si-ah. It’s been a while, NPink.”
It was NPink, the junior girl group we had met on the show ‘Best Idol.’ Their manager, standing behind them, bowed his head silently.
NPink had also been gaining some modest popularity recently. Thanks to Answer, they had gotten satisfactory exposure, and by following my instructions to forgo the broadcast recording and rush to Si-ah’s collapsed father, they had built a positive image.
However, their music, the most crucial element for a singer, left much to be desired. Their title track wasn’t good enough to be called a hit, so they weren’t achieving much success.
“Hello!”
“Oh, it’s NPink.”
Having practiced for missions in the same room on ‘Best Idol,’ Answer and NPink greeted each other warmly.
“Already… you have a new song out?”
Seol-ah asked, looking at the members’ unusual outfits. They had a ridiculous feel that went beyond B-grade.
“…Yes.”
Seeing the bitter smiles on the faces of Si-ah and the rest of NPink, the Answer members seemed to instinctively feel a sense of pity.
“You’ll definitely get first place today. Your song is so good.”
“Thanks. Let’s hope NPink’s new song is a huge hit too!”
At Seol-ah’s encouragement, a flicker of bitterness once again crossed the NPink members’ faces.
“We’re always grateful. I hope we can repay your kindness someday.”
Finally, Si-ah bowed deeply to Seol-ah and me one last time before leaving the waiting room.
“That’s… kind of sad.”
“Right?”
Seul-bi and Yi-na’s short words were filled with lament.
“We also tried very hard to survive.”
The Answer members nodded at my words.
“I’ll wait by the door. Should I let you know when SevenArrow arrives?”
“Yes. Thank you for your hard work.”
The moment I stepped out of the waiting room, my eyes met with a man who, though distant, looked familiar.
“Hello, Chef Lee Seung-chan. We’re Weekly.”
“I’m enjoying your show, ‘Amamushihajimayori,’ sir. We’re Five Eight.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Lee Seung-chan, a famous chef and successful restaurateur with his own franchise, was receiving greetings from passing idols.
He had no connection to music shows, so what was he doing here?
Unlike many wealthy people, he was down-to-earth and possessed a high degree of social contribution and influence, placing him in the upper echelon of celebrities.
Broadcasting stations didn’t hesitate to engage in fierce competition to have him on their shows, and every program he was cast in became a huge success. We had never met, and I didn’t think he would recognize me, so I just gave a slight nod from a distance as a courtesy.
But surprisingly, he approached me with a bright smile, as if he knew me.
“You’re Answer’s manager, right?”
“Yes, sir.”
He looked at the name ‘Answer’ on the waiting room door with a pleased expression.
“Answer’s debut song wasn’t very good. It was too cringey. I didn’t think it suited the girls.”
“Yes… It did have that aspect to it.”
He knew about Answer in more detail than I expected.
Was he an “uncle fan” like Director Lee Joo-won?
“This new song is truly excellent. A retro concept can easily look cheap instead of B-grade if done wrong, but the song, the outfits, and especially the choreography—that elegant turn as if approaching someone—was particularly wonderful. It even has the feel of Swan Lake on ice.”
He knew far more than I thought.
His delighted praise for the final product, a modification of Yuri Fox’s choreography with my added details, made me feel good as well.
“Thank you so much for recognizing our group, Answer.”
“…Hmm.”
Chef Lee Seung-chan seemed to want to say something to me.
Was I forgetting something? A nagging, inexplicable feeling that I was on the verge of remembering something kept bothering me.
It was then.
“Hello, sir! We’re NineOne. We respect you so much!”
NineOne?
They were the boy group from a small agency that I had produced.
“Oh, uh! Right. Well, see you later.”
Chef Lee Seung-chan walked away with a regretful look on his face, and the nine male idols bowed to me as well before starting to walk away.
“I’ve enjoyed your stage, NineOne.”
“Ah! Thank you.”
At my compliment, NineOne’s leader smiled brightly and expressed his gratitude.
“The performance, like watching a musical, was the best. The song was great, and the acting was great too.”
“Thank you!”
As I gave a pleased smile, the NineOne members walked on with bright faces.
“Where have we seen that guy before?”
“I know… doesn’t his way of speaking sound familiar?”
The NineOne members conversed in doubtful tones.
Of course it sounded familiar. I wrote their song and even came up with their concept.
But since I had directed them while wearing a bucket hat, glasses, and a mask, there was no way they would recognize me.
“Ah! Fire Emblem!”
“Answer!”
The NineOne members exclaimed simultaneously and turned back. They were on the wrong track, but at least they recognized me.
“You’re Answer’s manager, right? We’ve seen you several times.”
“And you saved the NPink member’s father.”
A small smile escaped my lips seeing the boys greet me again.
“We’d like to greet Answer Seonbae-nim. Is it possible to do so now?”
The NineOne members asked, their faces beaming.
And so, the first meeting between the two groups I produced came to be.
“Hello, Answer Seonbae-nim. We are the rookie group, NineOne!”
The nine charming male idols greeted Answer politely.
“Wow. You’re that NineOne. It looks like you’ll be a contender for number one soon.”
“Congratulations. The song is really good, too.”
“I thought you guys would make it big because the song was so good.”
All the members except for the now-chic Yi-na offered a word of praise.
As the person who produced both, the meeting of Answer and NineOne felt incredibly special to me.
“Ah… The Seonbae-nims don’t know yet…”
The NineOne members looked at each other with smug faces, as if this was their chance to reveal a secret Answer didn’t know.
“The person who gave us our debut song is the same person who composed your song, ‘Answer Me Now’.”
“Huh?”
The surprised Answer members turned to look at me standing behind NineOne, but I quietly brought my index finger to my lips. The fact that I was active as the sound maker Beat Room was a secret that the Answer members were well aware of.
“Ah… No wonder the song was so good.”
It was hard for both the Answer members and me to hold back our laughter at Seol-ah’s words.
“That’s right, Seonbae-nim! It’s an honor to have a song from the same person as you.”
“I don’t think that’s something we can take credit for… but anyway, it seems our composer, Beat Room, is definitely talented.”
At Seol-ah’s words, all the Answer members stared at me with peculiar expressions.
“Yes, yes! We just followed the concept he gave us, and the response has been so great that we’re truly grateful.”
Watching the joyful NineOne, Answer and I shared the same feeling.
***
“Answer, it’s time for your rehearsal.”
“Okay!”
At Min-jun’s words, the Answer members, who had finished preparing and were waiting, all rose and left the waiting room.
Just then, SevenArrow, the seven-member girl group from KGM Entertainment in their fifth year of debut and Answer’s competitor for first place today, was walking toward Min-jun and Answer. It was clear they had just arrived.
The Answer members tried to approach and greet them first. But before they could even get close, the SevenArrow members’ expressions soured and they opened their mouths.
“Aren’t you going to come and greet us?”
“Leave them. They’re getting popular these days.”
“Oh, really? They are?”
SevenArrow subtly belittled Answer with a twisted attitude.
*Are they seriously starting a power play already just because we’re both contenders for first place?*
Min-jun was dumbfounded.
The Answer members looked momentarily stunned, but they bowed politely from an appropriate distance, and Seol-ah spoke on their behalf.
“We’re sorry. We didn’t realize you had arrived, Seonbae-nims.”
“Then you should have kept a lookout. Back in our day, we stood in the hallway until all the seniors had arrived.”
Min-jun thought that was ridiculous. They didn’t just sit and wait in the waiting room. There were many things to do, like touching up makeup, changing outfits, and communicating with the production staff.
Worried that the Answer members would just get their feelings hurt if he left it alone, Min-jun stepped in.
“I was watching for SevenArrow to arrive, but I must have missed it while talking with Chef Lee Seung-chan for a moment.”
At Min-jun’s words, Seul-bi’s eyes twitched for a second. Momentarily at a loss for words, SevenArrow didn’t press the issue further and simply brushed past the Answer members, bumping their shoulders as they went.
The Answer members were dumbfounded by the real-life behavior of seniors who maintained a relatively good image on screen.
“Wow… I’ve heard that places with a lot of trainees have intense power plays because of the competition. But this is a bit much, isn’t it?”
Yi-na said with a defiant look, and Min-jun decided he had to step in.
“The more they act like that, the friendlier you should be. It’ll only make them feel more miserable when we win first place. We’re not competing against someone in the industry. The winner is the one who gains more popularity and commands higher performance fees.”
“Ugh… But I don’t think we’re going to get first place…”
“Don’t be so sure yet.”
Min-jun showed the Answer members an article from the previous day.
-[Answer, the Beautiful Angels, Challenge for Their First Music Show Win]
*There are not many people one can dare to describe as beautiful based on looks alone. But if they not only have undeniable looks but also a kind heart, could we not dare to call them beautiful people? Here is a group that this writer dares to call beautiful.*
The article detailed Answer’s creation and their journey of overcoming adversity.
It highlighted their social contributions over monetary gain, such as preventing the spread of a Ponzi scheme.
Their exemplary emergency first aid that saved a life.
Their loyalty in gifting their grateful manager an expensive car they had advertised.
And their contribution to delivering supplies to an orphanage. It was a piece that once again reminded the public of the positive influence they had on society.
“I believe in the power of positive influence.”
“Didn’t you plan and release this article, Oppa?”
Seul-bi asked Min-jun.
“It’s not like we’re lying. We have to use every means at our disposal. That’s my job and the company’s.”
As if on cue, the Answer members gave him a thumbs-up and smiled brightly.
“Let’s go quickly. NPink’s rehearsal is before ours. I’m so curious what their song is like.”
At Seol-ah’s words, Answer and Min-jun quickened their pace.